As the Department of Homeland Security continues to expand the use of facial recognition cameras at U.S. airports, and as more airlines test the technology at boarding gates, a new report has cast doubt on the effectiveness and legitimacy of the entire project.

DHS is already using biometric facial scanning of some travelers departing the U.S. at several airports, including Boston, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Miami, New York JFK, Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare, and Houston’s two airports. The agency has been planning to expand it to all major U.S. international gateway airports this year. The scans verify the identity of departing travelers by comparing facial images to a DHS biometric database.

But a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has asked DHS to stop expanding the program after a new report from the Georgetown University Law School questions the accuracy of the scans, and notes that Congress has never authorized the collection of facial scans from U.S. citizens by DHS.

The Georgetown University Law School’s Center on Privacy and Technology issued the report, which says that the so-called “biometric exit” project could end up costing taxpayers $1 billion. “Yet, curiously, neither Congress nor DHS has ever justified the need for the program,” the report said.

It also charged that the facial scanning program “stands on shaky legal ground.” Although Congress has given DHS a green light to collect biometric data from foreign nationals at U.S. entry and exit points, it has “never clearly authorized the border collection of biometrics from American citizens using face recognition technology,” the report said. “Without explicit authorization, DHS should not be scanning the faces of Americans as they depart on international flights – but DHS is doing it anyway.”

The Georgetown study also charged that the DHS facial recognition program has a relatively high error rate, misidentifying as many as one out of every 25 travelers. “At this high rate, DHS’ error-prone face scanning system could cause 1,632 passengers to be wrongfully delayed or denied boarding every day at New York’s JFK International Airport alone,” the study said. You can see the full report here.

After the report came out, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators wrote to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen asking the agency to stop expanding the program at U.S. airports, “and provide Congress with its explicit statutory authority to use and expand a biometric exit program on U.S. citizens.” They also cited the Georgetown Law report’s figures about the program’s error rate in verifying identities.

Last month, Delta started working with DHS to begin facial scans of passengers departing Atlanta as they board flights to Paris out of Gates E10 and E12 at ATL, allowing travelers to decide whether or not they want to participate. And British Airways recently announced it is incorporating facial scanning technology into tests of “self-service biometric boarding gates” at Los Angeles International, similar to technology the airline already uses at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

The external antennas for Gogo’s 2Ku satellite Wi-Fi should reduce drag on the aircraft. (Image: Gogo)

As passengers demand more broadband capacity and faster in-fight Internet service, Gogo is moving as fast as it can to change its airline Wi-Fi service from ground-based to satellite-based links.

The company said this week that the number of commercial aircraft equipped with its 2Ku broadband satellite technology has just passed the 500 mark, up from 100 at the beginning of this year. That’s out of a total of 3,000 Gogo-equipped planes. Orders for 2Ku installations now exceed 2,000 aircraft, the company said.

Where is 2Ku being installed, and how do you know if your aircraft has it?

“In the US, most of these are with Delta, and they inform passengers before boarding through their app and email notifications,” a spokesman tells Travelskills. “They also have ‘high speed Internet’ signs at the boarding door, as well as branding on their portal. With other airline partners like GOL, 2Ku is the only technology offered.”

On Delta jets, you’ll know you have a satellite based connection when you see this sign by the boarding door (Photo: Gogo)

Gogo said it takes about 30 hours to install the satellite-based technology on an aircraft – less than half the time it normally takes to install a broadband link.

In recent months, the company installed 2Ku on Delta’s first new Airbus A350; won regulatory approval to install 2Ku technology on Boeing 777s; signed a deal with Alaska Airlines to put 2Ku on all of the airline’s Airbus and Boeing aircraft; won a contract from LATAM Airlines Brazil to put satellite connections on 100 of its A320s; finished installing satellite Wi-Fi links on all of Virgin Atlantic’s A330s, A340s and 747s; and finalized an agreement with Cathay Pacific Group to put the technology on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon wide-bodies, including A330s and 777s.

By the way, there’s one other way to tell if your aircraft has Gogo 2Ku Wi-Fi: There’s a distinctive little dome on top of the plane.

“2Ku is the best performing connectivity solution in the market and that performance has resulted in the technology becoming the most rapidly adopted broadband satellite connectivity solution in the history of commercial aviation,” said Michael Small, Gogo’s president and CEO. “While we continue to grow our backlog of 2Ku aircraft, we are also focused operationally on making sure 2Ku also becomes the most rapidly deployed technology in commercial aviation history.”

Savvy business travelers always try to carry on everything they’ll need on their trips. But if there are occasions when you go on a longer trip and need to check a bag, watch out for brand-new airline rules banning a specific kind of checked luggage: smart bags.

The latest generation of products from luggage manufacturers is incorporating various new technologies into an item that was previously very low-tech. So modern smart bags can provide things like tracking technology, built-in scales, and power ports to juice up your electronic devices on the go. But those functions all require a power source, and that source is generally a lithium-ion battery in the luggage.

The problem with lithium-ion batteries is that they sometimes spontaneously combust – and that means airlines don’t want to take the chance of having them in a baggage hold.

In the past few days, Delta, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have all issued advisories warning customers that effective January 15, smart bags powered with a lithium-ion battery that cannot be removed will no longer be accepted as checked luggage. If the passenger can take the battery out of the luggage and carry it on, no problem. Otherwise, he has a real problem if he shows up at the airport with one of the now-banned bags.

“If the customer is able to take the bag into the cabin with them, the customer will be able to leave the battery installed,” American’s advisory said. But Delta said that smart bags with non-removable batteries will not be accepted as a checked or carry-on bag. Likewise at Alaska, “Smart bags will be allowed as carry-on baggage, if they meet carry-on size limits and if it’s possible to remove the battery from the bag if needed,” the company said.

Other airlines are likely to follow suit. So if any of your loved ones are planning to buy a new smart bag as a holiday gift for their favorite frequent traveler, make sure they get one with a removable battery.

Worried about wandering eyes when you travel? Here’s some help (Photo: 3M)

Whether sitting in a cramped middle seat at the back of the plane or on a comfortable aisle in first class, you’ve undoubtedly noticed nosy neighbors staring at your laptop screen. As a matter of fact, 87 percent of mobile workers have experienced the intrusive glances of “shoulder surfers” according to a 2017 study by the Ponemon Institute[1]. Perhaps they look out of idle curiosity or maybe it’s the natural lure of bright or colorful screens. But have you ever considered that those looky-loos could be competitors or thieves capturing sensitive information without your approval?

We all have data stored on our devices that we don’t want anyone else to see. It could be sensitive financial information, competitive R&D reports, top-secret marketing plans or legally protected emails. Companies spend millions of dollars each year on cybersecurity software, services, and hardware to prevent the theft of sensitive data. But these costly technological efforts prove useless if someone can quickly and surreptitiously snap a photo of your sensitive screen.

At minimum, shoulder surfers are annoying, but they can also lead to more serious repercussions, depending on the data they capture. For example, under new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in the European Union, a company could be fined for exposing the personal data of E.U. citizens. In the U.S., exposure of personal medical records by health care executives or physicians could be considered a violation of HIPAA regulations.

You never know who is looking over your shoulder (Image: 3M)

There are a few ways to prevent the low-tech threat of visual hacking. Some tips:

Tilt your screen away from the person next to you

Use a privacy screen on your computing devices

Create a physical barrier between your screen and prying eyes – using a pillow, your notebook or whatever else you have at your disposal

Stop working in crowded airplanes, trains, airports, cafes, hotel lobbies and other public spaces

Work with your back to a wall preventing others from getting behind you and looking over your shoulder

One of the best first lines of defense against this type of data breach is a privacy screen, which helps prevent side views. Similar to the way vertical blinds work, 3M Privacy Filters use “black out” technology that darkens side views, so that the screen appears black when viewed at an angle. So, if you’re sitting in the middle seat on an airplane, in an Internet café or even working in a hotel lobby, your laptop will look like it’s off to the people on either side of you.

3M Privacy filters block side views of your laptop screen (Image: 3M)

The filters fit directly over laptop screens and are easily removed for collaboration — when you actually want others to view your work from the side. They come in a variety of sizes to fit nearly every laptop.

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! This post is sponsored by 3M. We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel. Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication.

Gate agents will be equipped with handheld devices they can use to handle routine tasks like making seat assignment changes, checking bag status and so on without having to use a computer terminal.

Employees will also be using “mobile agent pods” – small podiums that can move around instead of large fixed podiums, creating more space at the gate for passengers.

Pillars will organize passengers into four lines as they wait to board. (Image: Delta)

Passengers waiting to board will be organized into four parallel lines by “boarding pillars” that show boarding group numbers – similar to a concept Southwest has been using for years. Delta started deploying the pillars last spring at some ATL B Concourse gates.

As they proceed onto the aircraft, passengers will use new e-gates to self-board. Instead of giving a boarding pass to an agent, they simply scan their own boarding pass, whether it’s a paper one or on their smart phone.

Southwest has used numbered pillars in boarding areas for years. (Image: Jim Glab)

“Later this year, phase two of testing will focus on increased agent mobility, the customer’s digital experience at the gate and how to integrate biometric boarding based on testing under way at Reagan Washington International Airport,” Delta said.

That biometric test at DCA lets passengers use a fingerprint instead of a boarding pass to board domestic Delta flights. It is available to persons enrolled in the CLEAR trusted traveler program, which uses fingerprint and iris scan biometrics to let members go directly to security screening. Delta is a part owner of CLEAR.

Delta said the new procedures and equipment in the three-month test are expected to “accelerate the culture of hospitality by minimizing barriers between agents and customers.”

Here’s how JetBlue’s facial recognition system will work. (Image: JetBlue)

Two months ago, we reported on the first deployments of biometric technologies for passenger processing at some European airports and airlines. And now JetBlue and Delta are trying out similar methods in the U.S.

JetBlue said it will team up with airport technology specialist SITA and with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) beginning in June to test a “paperless and deviceless self-boarding process” for international flights from Boston to Aruba.

No enrollment or preregistration is required. Passengers who want to try the new facial recognition process for boarding without a boarding pass or a passport check will simply step up to a camera near the boarding gate and have their image captured.

“The custom-designed camera station will connect to CBP to instantly match the image to passport, visa or immigration photos in the CBP database and verify flight details,” JetBlue said. “The customer will be notified on an integrated screen above the camera when they are cleared to proceed to the jet bridge.”

Delta’s test at Washington Reagan National involves stored biometric fingerprints instead of facial recognition. Participation is limited to SkyMiles members who are enrolled in the CLEAR trusted traveler program, in which Delta holds an equity stake. CLEAR members already have their digitized fingerprints stored in the system.

In the first phase of Delta’s test at DCA, already underway, participants can use fingerprints as a proof of identity at the Delta Sky Club instead of showing a boarding pass or ID. In the next phase, the fingerprint scan could also be used to check a bag and board a flight. The DCA test will help Delta fine-tune the integration of its own passenger database with CLEAR’s member records and biometrics.

And this summer, Delta plans to use facial recognition technology at one of four self-service bag-drop stations it is installing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. That device will provide identification verification by matching customers’ digital images with their passport photos.

“We’re rapidly moving toward a day when your fingerprint, iris or face will become the only ID you’ll need for any number of transactions throughout a given day,” said Gil West, Delta’s chief operating officer.

How do you feel about this new tech? A great convenience, or an invasion of privacy? Please leave your comments below.

British Airways has opened self-service boarding gates at London Heathrow. (Image: British Airways)

Three of Europe’s largest airports – London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris CDG —have started testing or using facial recognition technology as a way of speeding up passenger processing and boarding.

British Airways said this week that it has opened three self-service boarding gates at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, relying on digital facial scans as part of the process. The three domestic gates allow passengers to scan their own boarding passes at the gate and just walk onto the aircraft without the intervention of human gate agents.

BA said the process involves taking a digital facial scan of the passenger when he or she travels through the security checkpoint; when the traveler arrives at the departure gate, another digital image of their face taken there is checked against the earlier one. If the two match, the passenger is allowed through the gate and onto the aircraft.

The airline said it will extend the technology to three more domestic gates at LHR by mid-June, “with a view to rollout the scheme on international flights in the future.”

At Amsterdam Schiphol, the airport and KLM are conducting a three-month test of similar technology at one departure gate. Passengers who have registered in advance go to a special kiosk near the gate where they scan their boarding passes, passports and faces as part of the boarding process. Participants then board the aircraft through a special door that uses digital technology to recognize their faces.

“Schiphol and KLM want to study the technology of facial recognition – the system’s speed, reliability, and user-friendliness,” the airline said. “They will also examine the boarding process and the passenger experience. The ultimate aim is to make the boarding process as quick and easy as possible for our passengers.” The airline said that all data and images collected from passengers will be quickly erased.

At Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the airports authority has started testing facial recognition software as a way to speed up passenger processing after terrorist attacks in the past two years prompted the French government to tighten security requirements for travelers. The tougher requirements led to big increases in waiting time at border control, with many travelers waiting an extra hour to get through.

The CDG test involves the use of new software from a vendor called Vision-Box, and is used for clearing immigration rather than for aircraft boarding. The software compares passengers’ passport photos with their faces, and it can be used for travelers from the 28 European Union member nations. If the tests work well and the government gives a nod to the technology, it could be used to speed up clearance for up to 20 percent of the airport’s passengers.

In the U.S., the CLEAR trusted traveler program uses biometrics but not facial recognition. (Image: CLEAR)

In the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security a few months ago issued a solicitation for vendors who can provide mounted facial recognition cameras to be used in airports. However, the purpose of that project is not to speed up boarding or passenger processing, but rather to help Customs and Border Protection catch persons who are not in the U.S. legally.

Currently, the biggest user of biometric technology in U.S. airports is probably Clear, which relies on iris and fingerprint scans rather than facial recognition to speed its members into the security checkpoints.

Readers: Would you trust facial recognition technology if it is used to speed up the boarding process? How about if it is collected by government authorities for immigration and security purposes?

The company is Zunum Aero, which has funding from both Boeing and JetBlue Technology Ventures, the airline’s subsidiary that invests in travel-related innovation. The company is working on new 10- to 50-passenger aircraft using hybrid electric technology that could have planes in the sky within a few years, serving routes of up to 700 miles.

“These aircraft, as part of new regional electric air networks, will offer a fast, flexible and affordable alternative to highways and high-speed rail, operating point-to-point and as feeders to hub airports,” the company said.

Zunum envisions an air travel system that shifts traffic from the bottlenecks of giant hubs to one that takes advantage of under-utilized regional airports, eliminating the need for connections and/or long drives for many travelers. The company said the aircraft it is developing could serve markets of up to 700 miles by the early 2020s, and more than 1,000 miles by 2030.

Zunum says its planes could be flying by the early 2020s. (Image: Zunum Aero)

“Designing aircraft for walk-on, walk-off travel from nearby airports addresses the major pain points of modern air transit while filling a vast regional transport gap,” Zunum said. “For example, passengers can expect to travel from regional airports in the Boston area to Washington, DC for half the fare and in half the time it takes today door-to-door. For those on the West Coast, Silicon Valley to the LA area drops to two and a half hours door-to-door, from over five hours today, or to Lake Tahoe in just two hours at a fraction of today’s cost.”

Besides cutting door-to-door travel times by 40 to 80 percent, the company said, its technology would reduce operating costs enough to permit a 40 to 80 percent cut in fares. It would also greatly reduce aircraft emissions and noise.

“As a company that is also deeply committed to innovation in sustainable travel, we believe that Zunum and its quiet, environmentally-friendly aircraft will light up a vast network of underutilized airports and reinvent regional travel,” said Bonny Simi, president of JetBlue Technology Ventures.

Zunum and JetBlue aren’t the only ones exploring new ways to power aircraft. Another U.S. start-up, Wright Electric, is in discussions with U.K.-based low-cost carrier EasyJet about the development of a battery-powered or hybrid plane that could carry 150 passengers on flights of up to 300 miles.

Have you bought an Amazon Echo voice recognition device for your home yet? If not, you’ve probably talked to Siri on your iPhone. Google is also in the game with its Google Assistant. In any case, you might be talking to one of them in your hotel room soon.

Voice recognition capability for personal devices is key to the deployment of so-called “smart home” technology that lets you control heating, lighting, appliances and other things without getting out of your recliner. And hotels want to bring that same convenience to their guests.

Some higher-end hotels have already deployed tablet computers in their rooms that let the guest control the TV, sound, lighting, temperature and other things via touch-screen icons or keyboards. And according to Bloomberg Technology, hotel rooms are the obvious next frontier for voice recognition assistants.

Bloomberg said Amazon and Apple are the primary competitors in this nascent field, and that the first installations are already happening. Most of the initial devices are Amazon Echoes, which use a digital assistant called Alexa. Hotels with Apple iPads in guest rooms may already have the digital assistant Siri in place, but they still need to be integrated with in-room systems and devices. The Siri app on guests’ iPhones might also be brought into the mix. After mastering the link with “smart” guest room functions, the technology might be extended to other hotel services like the concierge desk, restaurant reservations and so on.

Apple’s Siri app is already in place on millions of iPhones and iPads. {Image: Apple)

Hotels installing Echo in some rooms and suites include the Wynn Las Vegas, the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in Texas, and the Four Seasons in Washington D.C. Marriott is understood to be evaluating a broader distribution of voice recognition technology for one of its chains later this year, Bloomberg said.

Still to be determined is exactly how far the voice recognition systems will go in meeting guests’ demands. “A key question is whether the interaction will be personalized, allowing guests familiar with the devices to log into their own accounts, or instead use a standard set of skills relevant to a hotel stay, like getting news reports, checking weather forecasts or calling for an Uber — commands more appropriate for those unfamiliar with the technology,” Bloomberg said.

Readers: Are you comfortable with voice recognition assistants? Do you have an Amazon Echo in your home, or do you often use an assistant on your phone? Please leave your answers in the comments!

Card gamers and churners under fire by American Express (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As the credit card wars heat up between American Express Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card – an AmEx official said this week that his company will weed out new customers who might not be with it for the long haul.

Known in the industry as “gamers” or “churners,” these are individuals who sign up for a credit card only to get the big bonuses or short-term incentives that are often offered to new customers. After signing up and getting the bonus, these “hobbyists” quit and move on to the next card with the newer, better sign up bonus.

Chase has already implemented a new 5/24 rule forbidding people from getting more than five Chase cards in a 24-month period– even those with excellent credit ratings.

This week AmEx Global Consumer Services President Doug Buckminster said at a conference in New York that the company is developing ways to “suppress” gaming in favor of seeking out and keeping loyal cardholders,according to Bloomberg.

He said the company will “use our analytics and technology to surgically remove gaming and reinvest in higher-quality, more loyal new customers.”

$10 off your first Lyft ride!

Buckminster did not explain how the company would be able to distinguish between “gamers” and more steadfast customers who sign up for a new card. He did concede that the growing list of benefits offered by AmEx and Chase to new Platinum and Reserve cards currently constitutes a form of ”hand-to-hand combat” in the credit card industry – one that shows no signs of easing up.

Also at the conference, AmEx CEO Ken Chenault said: “What will be interesting to see not just with Chase but with other competitors is what happens when the short-term incentives are dried up …”

Hmmm. Does that mean that Amex is considering pulling back on generous sign up bonuses? Then how will it find new card members? Or get back those it’s lost to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card?

A new report finds that U.S. airlines remain way ahead of their foreign counterparts in the availability of in-flight Wi-Fi.

However, the Routehappy.com report also notes that the world’s airlines have quite a ways to go in offering what it calls the “best” Wi-Fi – i.e., “comparable to a home connection” in that it offers the highest speeds available and permits advanced media streaming.

“U.S. airlines continue to get closer to offering Wi-Fi on nearly every flight, a benefit of having started Wi-Fi rollouts earlier than airlines in most other regions,” Routehappy said. “Delta and United now have it installed on every single aircraft larger than 50-seat regional jets, while American is also closing in on this milestone. This is the result of multi-year installation programs, which are finally wrapping up.”

The company said that for U.S. airlines, 80 percent of available seat miles (ASMs) are now flown on Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft, compared with just 18.5 percent of ASMs on foreign airlines worldwide. (U.S. airlines that offer none at all include ultra-low-cost carriers like Frontier and Spirit, “which have no intention of rolling it out in the near future,” Routehappy said.)

In terms of quality, the company found that of equipped aircraft worldwide, only 7.2 percent offer the “best” product – an increase of just 1.2 points in the past year. Most aircraft (61 percent) provide what Routehappy calls “better” quality – i.e., capable of full web browsing and limited media streaming, while the rest have just basic service.

However, that should change fast. “While the overwhelming majority of flights operating with Best Wi-Fi today are found on JetBlue and some United flights, next-generation systems are now rapidly coming online, with major airline commitments announced more regularly than in prior years,” Routehappy said.

Source: Routehappy.com

“Gogo’s 2Ku system (i.e., an advanced satellite-based network) has recently launched with multiple major global airlines such as Delta, Aeromexico, and Virgin Atlantic. Inmarsat’s GX for Aviation is also in the beginning stages of going live to passengers. Deutsche Telekom’s high-speed air-to-ground network is being built throughout the European Union and UK, and British Airways will use this network starting in mid-2017; SAS and Finnair have also tapped Viasat for European Wi-Fi. All these systems are pending installation in thousands of aircraft. While equipment installation will take years to complete, by the end of 2017 flyers will see a big increase of Best Wi-Fi available to them.”

The deployment of these newer technologies means that in-fight Wi-Fi speed and quality “will dramatically improve” in the months and years ahead, the company said, and the cost to passengers should come down as well.

Looking just at long-haul flights – which Routehappy defines as more than 2,800 miles – the report says that only seven airlines now offer Wi-Fi on 100 percent of their flights: United, Delta, Iberia, Etihad, Icelandaor, Lufthansa and Singapore’s Scoot.

Do you need a drink? British Airways wants to know without being told. (Image: Scott Hintz)

Would you mind if your airline tried to anticipate your in-flight needs by using a variety of sensors to monitor just how you’re feeling – including, possibly, a “digital pill” that you swallow?

That’s apparently what British Airways sees for the future of travel. According to MediaPost.com, the airline has applied for a patent on new technology that would let it control the travel environment in response to very personal passenger data.

That data would be gathered by sensors that measure various physiological factors in passengers – including “digital pills or other ingestible sensors that detect internal temperature, stomach acidity and other internal properties and wirelessly relay this information outside the passenger’s body,” according to the patent application.

The application apparently did not indicate how large such a pill might be.

Other sensors could be worn by a passenger, included on his mobile device, or positioned nearby. These could include body movement sensors, sleep phase or biorhythm sensors, eye movement trackers and heartrate or blood pressure monitors, the patent application said.

All this data could theoretically be analyzed to determine if passengers are awake or asleep, hungry, and hot or cold, for instance, “for use in determining and scheduling events associated with the journey segments,” the application said – i.e., so crew could adjust in-flight service and environmental controls to keep passengers at maximum comfort levels.

What do you think, readers? Would you swallow a digital pill or strap on a wearable so flight attendants could know when to serve you dinner? Or is this whole notion just off-the-charts science fiction?

Hotel wi-fi usage is up, way up, and we like it more than you’d think! (Image: Pixabay)

It’s pretty well known that business travelers are adamant about having good Wi-Fi in their hotel rooms. And now a new survey shows that despite the complaints, they spend a LOT of time using it.

The poll found that 55 percent of business travelers spend at least an hour a day using their hotel room Wi-Fi for business purposes; and 48 percent also use it at least an hour a day for personal/leisure purposes.

The survey of 831 U.S. and Canadian business travelers, conducted for the Global Business Travel Association, contradicts the notion that most road warriors are fed up with slow or inconsistent in-room Wi-Fi. “Satisfaction with in-room internet access is generally high with 75 percent or higher satisfaction rates for speed and connectivity, but slightly lower levels (62 percent) for security,” GBTA said.

As if spending a couple of hours a day on their in-room Wi-Fi wasn’t enough, the survey found that 73 percent of its respondents have also used Wi-Fi in hotel public areas in the past year.

Three-fifths of those polled said they normally use the regular free in-room Wi-Fi offered to all guests, while 16 percent said they got free or higher-speed Internet service by booking direct and/or by being a member of the hotel’s loyalty program.

Source: Global Business Travel Association

“In the future, a majority of respondents say they are ‘more likely’ or ‘much more likely’ to book directly in exchange for free Wi-Fi or high speed internet; however, the reality is most can obtain free basic Wi-Fi by simply being part of a loyalty program regardless of booking channel,” GBTA noted.

The poll also found that in spite of hotels’ rush to add more guest-oriented technology to their rooms in recent years, business travelers still want more. Asked what they’d like to see more of in terms of hotel technology, the three items most cited by survey respondents were more power and USB outlets in their rooms (35 percent); streaming services like Netflix and HBO Go on guestroom TVs (34 percent); and in-room chargers for laptops and phones (32 percent).

The survey found that more than 60 percent of those polled have downloaded at least one major hotel chain’s smartphone apps within the past year, while one-quarter of them have downloaded three or more. The most frequent uses of the apps are to check reservation status, manage rewards accounts, and book rooms.

Readers: How much time do you spend on Wi-Fi in your hotel? Be honest! What do you mostly use it for?

Remember those old Star Trek (the original version) episodes when Captain Kirk and company would encounter an alien race that didn’t speak English (although most of them did)? They would pull out a handheld device they called the Universal Translator that provided instant understanding, whatever the language.

It’s just one more example of how technology has caught up with science fiction. In fact, technology is starting to pull ahead. We just read about a nifty new system called the Pilot earpiece from Waverly Labs that lets two people communicate just by speaking their separate languages. They both wear wireless earbuds linked to a smartphone app that does the translating, but the voice output goes to the earbuds, not the phone’s speaker. Here’s a video demonstration. (See below)

Waverly Labs will start an Indiegogo campaign this month to help fund development, and the product is expected to be on the market this fall at a cost of $250-$300.

The granddaddy of translation apps is Google Translate, used by hundreds of millions of people. That product just announced some upgrades, including a feature called Tap to Translate, initially on the Android version. Instead of having to copy and paste a web page or email in a foreign language, users can now just tap a button that automatically calls up the translation app to present the words in English (or any of the 103 languages that Google Translate can handle).

Google Translate can handle 103 languages. (Image: Google)

In addition, Google now offers the Offline Mode of Google Translate for iOS devices as well as Android phones, and has shrunk the size of the offline package to take up less space on the phone. The company also expanded its Word Lens feature – which uses the phone’s camera to read and translate signs or menus in a foreign language – to include Chinese.

Google Translate has been able to handle bilingual spoken conversations since last year, translating voices between two languages. Here’s a guide to how that works.

And of course there are other similar products in the market, like the well-regarded iTranslate.

The California Corridor is the staging ground for what could be a revolutionary leap forward in fast ground transportation, as tech companies move forward with ultra-high-speed magnetic levitation systems. And it sounds like the future is approaching faster than expected.

At least three companies are in the news this weekwith plans to develop “Hyperloop” systems that would use the technology to zip passenger pods or compartments along at speeds of up to 750 mph. The competitors are raising tens of millions of dollars in venture capital, and some are already working on small-scale test tracks.

One is a company called Hyperloop One, inspired by Tesla and SpaceX guru Elon Musk; it would shoot passenger capsules through a low-pressure tube on a cushion of air. (Magnetic levitation systems rely on magnetic forces to lift vehicles above their guide rails, eliminating all that friction that slows down regular trains.) Today, the company completed an initial “test run” in the Nevada desert– see below.

Another firm, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, has licensed Maglev technology developed by California’s renowned Lawrence Livermore Laboratories. The third is a firm called SkyTran, which envisions Maglev vehicles traveling on elevated tracks and is working with NASA.

If the firms achieve the suggested goal of 750 mph, it could mean a San Francisco to L.A. trip in just 30 minutes – without the hassle of airports. Maglev technology is already operating in Japan and China. Last year, a Japan Railways Maglev train achieved a record speed of 374 mph, suggesting that the American developers still have a ways to go. In China, Maglev trains operate between Shanghai Pudong Airport and central Shanghai at speeds of about 268 mph.

Rendering of a Hyperloop vehicle in an elevated tube. (Image: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies)

Whoever comes out ahead with the technology, a working California Corridor Hyperloop line is many years away. First of all, there’s the cost, estimated at $6 billion. Then there are the logistical difficulties of building a safe and secure route through heavily populated and developed areas – not to mention that much of the corridor is an earthquake zone.

But it’s sure fun to dream about for now. And exciting to see tangible progress toward reality. In the meantime, we have the Sleepbus 🙂

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is using technology to reduce lines. (Image: CBP)

The federal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has been deploying new technology in recent years to help arriving travelers spend less time waiting in line, but the effort faces an uphill battle in the face of increasing passenger numbers. And a new study finds some airports have a bigger problem than others.

According to a new analysis conducted for the Global Gateway Alliance, a private-sector group devoted to easing air travel hassles in the New York area, New York JFK suffers from the longest Customs waiting times of the 10 largest airports for international arrivals – and San Francisco International ranked a close second.

The group found that the average waiting time for international arrivals to make it through Customs was 25.04 minutes at JFK (up 13 percent from a year earlier) and 24.66 minutes at San Francisco. Other major airports with average waiting times of more than 20 minutes included Miami at 22.43 and Los Angeles International at 20.14. Those were average times; the group found that the maximum waiting time was almost 55 minutes at JFK and 54.3 minutes at Miami International.

Atlanta fared relatively well-– with average wait times only half as long as New York or San Francisco.

The study is just a reminder that Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry trusted traveler program ($100/5 years) – which lets participants process themselves at a kiosk and bypass Customs agents — is really worth the investment.

To accommodate a growing Global Entry membership – the program now has 2.6 million members, CBP said – the agency added five more Global Entry locations last year. The program is now available at 47 U.S. airports and 13 overseas Preclearance stations, covering more than 99 percent of inbound travelers, CBP said.

CBP recently reported that the number of international passengers arriving at U.S. airports last year topped 112 million, an increase of 5.1 percent over 2014. The agency said that in spite of that increase, the average waiting time to clear Customs at the top 10 airports was down 3 percent last year.

Directional signs to Global Entry kiosks at SFO

For non-Global Entry travelers, CBP has been working with airports to speed up the lines by deploying technology like Automated Passport Control kiosks, which let travelers input their own information and obtain a receipt to hand to the Customs agent; and the Mobile Passport Control smartphone app, which does the same thing. The app is now in use at Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Ft. Lauderdale, San Francisco, Miami and Seattle-Tacoma. CBP said it expanded the Automated Passport Control kiosks to 14 more locations last year, and it noted they have reduced wait times by up to 27 percent.

The biggest increase in international arrivals last year was at SFO, up 9 percent. “We’re working hard to improve processing times,” an airport spokesman tells Travelskills. “SFO has already introduced Automated Passport Control kiosks, the Mobile Passport Control app, and reconfigured both signage and queuing to increase efficiency. We’re also working with Customs and Border Protection to ensure they do their part, by increasing their staffing levels to meet these additional traffic demands.”

JetBlue’s A320s (pictured) and some A321s will get new seating and tech improvements. (Image: JetBlue)

Passengers on JetBlue’s Airbus A320s and some of its A321s can expect to see more seats in the future, along with a more connected tech experience.

The airline said this week that it plans to increase the seat count in 15 of its “all-core” A321s (not including those transcontinental A321s equipped with Mint service, which will remain unchanged) from the current 190 to 200, while JetBlue’s 130 A320s will go from the current 150 seats to 162.

According to JetBlue, the increases in seat count will be made possible by the installation of a new galley/lavatory module developed by Airbus called the Space-Flex v2. Those installations “will free additional space” in the cabins, “requiring a reconfiguration of seating,” JetBlue said.

The airline did not say how the reconfiguration might impact seat pitch — currently 34 inches on A320s and 33 on A321s, except for seven extra-legroom rows with more — but it did say that its cabins will still boast “the most legroom in coach” compared to other U.S. airlines.

The aircraft will get new Pinnacle seats from BE Aerospace with moveable headrests, AC outlets and USB ports at every seat, as well as new LED cabin lighting systems.

Economy class on a Mint configured A321 – all JetBlue seats will soon have 10 inch monitors like these (Chris McGinnis)

Work on the A321s will start in the second half of this year, while the A320 overhaul will take place from 2017 to 2019.

JetBlue said the A320s will also get a technology overhaul that links their seatback TVs to the in-flight Wi-Fi service, and new seatback screens that will be 10-inch, high-definition models, almost twice as large as the current screens.

This will enable streaming TV entertainment through a system built on Google’s Android platform. JetBlue said the new system will mean “unlimited possibilities for custom app and widget development, live content streaming, audio-and-video-on-demand, and personal device pairing to offer more entertainment options than ever.” Besides the streaming content, JetBlue’s DirecTV service will increase from 36 to 100 channels, and its in-flight film library will be able to deliver 300 movies.

Passengers will have gate-to-gate access to JetBlue’s Fly-Fi high-speed wireless Internet service, offering speeds of 12 to 20 Mbps to each linked device, the airline noted.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is the latest lodging giant to start rolling out the next generation of technology-based guest services, much of it designed to work with customers’ smartphones, and one intriguing innovation — a language translator — that works with the Apple Watch.

The company said its IHG Translator App will translate a spoken English phrase into any of 13 other languages, or users can select from a menu of common phrases that are pre-loaded into the software.

A translation app works with the Apple Watch. (Image: InterContinental Hotels Group)

Other innovations coming from IHG include:

Mobile Check In and Check Out, including confirmation of arrival time and notification by SMS when a guest’s room is ready. It is currently being deployed in the Americas region, and U.S.-based IHG Rewards Club elite members “will have exclusive access to the service in the first instance,” the company said.

An extension of the check-in, check-out service is the new Mobile Folio, which lets guests see their hotel bill in real time on their phone or tablet; they get the final bill during Mobile Check Out.

Mobile Room Keys — currently being tested in the U.S. — will let guests bypass the front desk upon arrival and go directly to their assigned room, using a smartphone to open the door.

With IHG Guest Request, customers can use the IHG App to ask hotel staff for a variety of special services or items for their rooms; the app logs and tracks all requests to make sure they get a response.

IHG hotels in China are the testing ground for iBeacon technology. This involves planting little devices in lobbies and hotel restaurants that recognize IHG Rewards Club members by detecting the IHG App in their phones. “They then send information to the guest’s smartphone, including personalized notifications and offers relevant to their stay,” the company said.

The company is teaming up with Stay.com so that guests who book IHG properties in any of 50 worldwide destinations will be able to research and download personalized travel guides, for use online or offline. The linkup with Stay.com begins June 25.

Hotels have made major strides in bringing new technology to their booking and check-in activities, and are now rolling out smartphone apps that serve as room keys. But there’s a lot more guest tech on the horizon, and Starwood Hotels shared some of the possibilities with TravelSkills today.

Much of the innovation is being tested in or designed for Starwood’s Specialty Select Brands — Four Points, Aloft and Element. Here’s a look at some things hotel guests can expect to see in the months and years ahead:

Four Points is testing “dual stream TVs,” — i.e., side-by-side large-screen TVs in the guest room. “Watch two big games on any given Sunday or (with the included wireless headphones) couples can watch two different programs at once without disturbing each other,” a spokesperson explained.

Also in the Four Points test lab is the “virtual business center” — individual booths installed in the lobby that are fitted with noise-canceling materials so guests can make calls or work in a silent, secure environment- yet still be in the lobby.

You’ve probably seen high-end hotel bathrooms with a little TV screen in the mirror. But Starwood’s “smart mirrors” go a step further: They’re floor-length mirrors with embedded displays that let you check up on the weather, news headlines and sports scores. Other touch-screen apps could be coming in the future.

Starwood’s Element Hotels brand is looking into smart floor tiles. “RFID technology will communicate with lighting and beaconing technologies to map out a gentle lighting path from your bed to the bathroom. Or help light the way from the elevator to your room,” the spokesperson notes..

The Element at DFW Airport is currently testing a “solar canopy charging station.” Guests can sit underneath the canopy and charge up their devices with electricity generated by new “Solarskin” technology on top of the canopy.

The Aloft Hotels brand is exploring all kinds of new guest room functionality for smart phones, so that users can adjust room temperature; change the intensity and even the color of lighting; stream entertainment content to the room’s TV and/or bluetooth music player; and even program the coffeemaker to brew a potful at a specific hour.

The tech website Mashable recently took a look at some of Starwood’s tech concepts and issued this report.

Editor Chris McGinnis

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